1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to mud flaps for preventing the rear wheels of a truck or other vehicle from throwing rocks, mud or other debris rearwardly of a travelling vehicle and more particularly, to a mud flap extender for mounting on each rear frame or rear quarter panel wheel well plate of a vehicle and extending the mud flap several inches rearwardly with respect to the conventional mounting location of the mud flap. In a preferred embodiment of the invention each of two mud flap extenders is characterized by a fender module that matches the curvature of the vehicle rear quarter panel and mounts on the rear quarter panel wheel well plate and an angle-iron mount plate having a top flange for engaging and mounting on the bottom of the fender module and a bottom flange for mounting a mud flap on the fender module. The fender module is mounted in a horizontal orientation behind a rear wheel or wheels of the vehicle, with the fender module preferably bolted to the rear quarter panel wheel well plate. A rubber mud flap is typically bolted to and suspended downwardly from the rear flange of the mount plate.
Conventionally, mud flaps are fixed to a vehicle frame or fender and located a few inches rearwardly of the rear wheels of the vehicle to protect the rear quarter panels of the vehicle, as well as following vehicles, from being damaged by debris such as rocks and mud thrown rearwardly by the wheels. Because each mud flap is normally positioned in close proximity to the corresponding rear wheel, the mud flaps can be easily pinched between an object protruding from the ground, such as a curb, or even the flat road surface itself, and the tire of the vehicle and subsequently torn from the vehicle as the vehicle is operated in reverse. If the mud flaps are suspended from a conventional bar or frame hanger spaced from the wheels, then mud, rocks and other debris are easily thrown upwardly by the rear wheels against the vehicle fenders and quarter panels. The mud flap extenders of this invention each extend a mud flap farther rearwardly with respect to the rear wheel than is possible using conventional mud flap mounting techniques, such that the mud flaps cannot be pinched between the vehicle rear wheel and the road surface or other object protruding from the road surface when the vehicle is operated in reverse. Furthermore, the mount plate and mud flap elements of the mud flap extenders are designed and located to prevent contact between the road debris thrown upwardly by the vehicle rear tires and the quarter panels or rear fenders of the vehicle. The mud flap extenders are shaped into aesthetically pleasing configurations which are custom designed for various vehicles, as desired.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many protective devices are known in the art for preventing rocks, mud and other debris from being thrown rearwardly by the rear wheels of a vehicle into the path of oncoming vehicles. U.S. Pat. No. 3,560,021, dated Feb. 2, 1971, to William W. Watson, describes "Mudguards", characterized by a pair of spaced, semicircular plates, including a radially-formed portion spanning the plates. The mud guards are pivotally and adjustably mounted on the rear axle of the vehicle to rotate about the axis of the wheel which it acts to protect. U.S. Pat. No. 3,580,604, dated May 25, 1971, to Thomas F. Overend, discloses "Mud Flaps For Dump Trucks", characterized by a stationary upper flap and an upwardly-retractable lower flap suspended on cantilever mounts behind each rear wheel of a dump truck. The upper flap mount is supported directly by the truck frame and the lower flap mount is mounted on an upwardly-swingable arm pivoted to the truck frame in front of the flaps. U.S. Pat. No. 3,640,577, dated Feb. 8, 1972, to Nolan J. Ducote, details "Retractable Mud Flaps For Dump Trucks and Trailers". The mud flaps are operated by springs under the control of a mechanism which is locked when the bed of the dump truck upon which the mud flaps are mounted is in normal position, and is unlocked when the bed is slightly tilted prior to complete tilting for dumping. When the mechanism is locked, it applies tension to the springs, which pull the flaps into normal position. When the mechanism is unlocked, the tension is removed and the springs force the flaps out and away from the load. U.S. Pat. No. 4,012,053, dated Mar. 15, 1977, to Robert G. Bode, describes a "Splash Guard" for mounting on the fender of a vehicle, including a corrosion-resistant, metal body portion having a permanent, continuous, protective border formed of a plastic material which is intimately bonded to both sides of the body portion along its entire periphery, such that the normally thin, sharp edges of the body portion are completely covered. U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,646, dated Sep. 17, 1985, to David W. Knowley, discloses a "Mud Flap Hanger" for use on road vehicles such as trucks and truck-tractors, which hanger is characterized by a pair of rods, each of which is pivotally attached to opposite sides of the central frame member of the truck and suspends a rectangular rubber mud flap downwardly therefrom. The mud flaps may be moved from behind the wheel of the truck and stowed centrally between the rear wheels. Pivotal movement of the supporting rods is effected by use of a flexible bushing which is generally rectangular in shape and in which the inner walls of a generally square aperture has expansion slots and lubrication grooves for lubricating the arms carried within the aperture. U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,094, dated Jun. 25, 1991, to John Haddox, details an "Adjustable Mud Flap Assembly" which utilizes the transverse bar member of a trailer hitch assembly as the main support for the mud flaps. The mud flap assembly has a pair of L-shaped mud flap frame members, each removably attached to the corresponding end of the transverse bar member. Each frame member includes a rectangular mud flap removably attached thereto. By varying the radial disposition of the frame member with respect to the transverse bar member, the position of the mud flap with respect to the vehicle can be changed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,667, dated Sep. 3, 1991, to Kenneth G. Manning, describes a "Pull-Away Mud Flap" which can be easily installed and removed from a mounting bracket characterized by a bracket body, from which two flanges extend downwardly and converge toward one another at their lower ends to form a slot therebetween. The mounting bracket is mounted on the frame, behind the rear wheel of the vehicle and the mud flap is extended from the mounting bracket by engaging the peripheral edge of the mud flap with the slot of the mounting bracket.
It is an object of this invention to provide a mud flap extender for mounting on the rear fender, rear body panel, quarter panel, or the frame of a vehicle behind the rear wheels of the vehicle and suspending a mud flap in rearwardly-spaced, protective relationship with respect to each rear wheel.
Another object of this invention is to provide a pair of mud flap extenders, each characterized by a pair of fender modules customized for mounting on the rear body panels, respectively, of the vehicle and matching the rear body or quarter panel curvature and a mount plate, including a top flange extending horizontally and a bottom flange extending vertically from the rear edge of the front flange of the mount plate, which top flange is mounted on the bottom of the fender module of the vehicle. Each mount plate is adapted for suspending a mud flap downwardly from the bottom flange and spaced from the rear wheel or wheels to prevent the mud flap from being caught between the rear wheel or wheels and the curb, pavement or road surface and torn from the vehicle when the vehicle is operated in reverse and to prevent road debris thrown upwardly from the rear wheels from striking the vehicle rear body or quarter panels and/or fenders.